Fair Grounds: Speedacious improves with maturity

It was a good night at Delta Downs last Saturday for the Bret Calhoun barn, which won a pair of rich Louisiana-bred sprint stakes with Su Casa G Casa and Speedacious.

Speedacious’s five-length victory in the Matron, a race she also won in 2011, was particularly sharp, and gave the mare three straight victories. Speedacious, a 5-year-old, won the 2009 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie by 12 lengths, earning an exceptional Beyer Speed Figure of 102, but her career went up and down until Speedacious has gained racing skill through maturity.

“The race Saturday really looked like a paid workout,” said Calhoun. “She’s learned to race now. I think there were times early in her career she could get intimidated, fractious, and she could throw one of those bad races. I always thought she had the talent, but she had been one-dimensional.”

The remainder of the Fair Grounds meet offers little obvious opportunity for Speedacious. Calhoun might enter her in the March 24 Happy Ticket Stakes, but would only run if the race were rained from turf onto dirt.

Su Casa G Casa won the Premier Night Sprint by two lengths, his first victory in almost one year, while the Calhoun-trained favorite Bold Recruit set the pace before fading to third.

“I think if it had been a fast track Bold Recruit might have gone all the way,” said Calhoun.

Meanwhile, back at Fair Grounds, 3-year-old filly Summer Applause worked a sharp half-mile in 47.60 seconds on Feb. 4, her first breeze since finishing second to Believe You Can as the even-money favorite in the Jan. 21 Silverbulletday. Calhoun said the workout was faster than planned, but that Summer Applause went easily.

“I wanted her to go a nice easy half in 50, and she went a nice easy half in 47 and 4,” he said.

The Rachel Alexandra on Feb. would be a logical next spot for Summer Applause.